{Image courtesy of Dani @ Hard Corps Love}

Here I (finally!) am with my 11 in 2011 check-in!

Better late than never, right??

The last month??

Although it's been absolutely fantastic having Max home, it has definitely thrown off my groove.

{"Oh no, you've thrown off the emperor's groove!" Quick! Name that movie!?!?!}

He worked two weeks upon getting home, then he's had off.  

And we've had visitors.

Basically, the routine has been to not have a routine.

Which is fine, but this girl, who likes her normal day-to-day, is certainly eager to find routine again.

All that said, I haven't done as well on some of my goals this past month.  

Which is fine - it just means I have lots to keep working on!

So, without further ado, here is my monthly check-in:

1. Read 12 new books.

Do children's books count???

With Max coming home, I have not made much time for leisurely reading.

I must admit, I have been much more interested in spending time with him than with a book, ha!

But, I DID start a book this past week and am excited to keep reading!

The book?  The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett.

Decent so far, I'll letcha know how it goes!

2. Try 2 new recipes a month.

Done and done.

Some successes?

Crockpot pot roast.

Turtle brownies.

Pecan Pie.

Baked spaghetti casserole.

Baked tofu fingers.

Honey-curry tofu.

Peanut Chicken.

Pumpkin Caramel Pecan Coffeecake (Oh.My.GOSH!!! SO good!)

3. Lose the "baby house" weight.

Pretty much a fail.

I think I've GAINED weight since Max has been home.

He always wants dessert and how can I resist, ha ha!!

I think because he's been on his leave the last few weeks, we've been indulging a lot.

Needless to say, we BOTH have to stop eating so much and start moving a lot more!!

4. Read (at least) one chapter in the Bible every day.

Completely honest?

I haven't been keeping up with this one.

And I can tell - reading the Bible feeds my soul and strengthens me.

This is the one that I am most disappointed in myself about.

5. Tell my babes I love them every.single.day.

Done and done.

It's like their little faces begged to be told this every other minute.

6. Grow something green.

My plant is still alive, does that count??

And Max bought me a little teeny pot of green peppers!

AND, I am hoping to buy some cheap pots and plant some herbs in the next month!

OH!  And Max's parents brought us a cactus!

There is green in my house, woot!

7. Get outside and walk every day.

Um, fail.  That's all.

8.  Use less. Conserve more.

We started composting a few weeks ago!

And I've been trying my best to keep things unplugged, lights turned off and water usage low.

I've also been brainstorming ideas on how to re-purpose different items we have around the house.

I'll keep you posted on that one!

9.  Take more pictures.  Capture everyday moments. Record more video.

This one has been hard for me the last few weeks, not gonna lie.

I think with trying to be more "in-the-moment" and trying to be very present,

I get caught up and forget to actually capture those precious moments.

I need to work on this one.

10. Spend less. Save more.

Oh gosh. Oh gosh. Oh gosh.

Having Max home has not been good for this goal!

Let's just say that as much as I am a super-saver, my dear husband is an impulsive spender!

Plus, having him home has felt like a celebration, so we've enjoyed a few treats!

But we went over our budget a couple of weeks ago.

We set our plan and have been doing very well so far!

I am excited to see how we develop and grow through this one!

Our goal is to use some of our tax refund money to open a savings account for Z this month.

11. Be more intentional.

Working on this.

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the daily routine, 

but the little hand tugging at my leg,

or my dear husband wanting a spontaneous hug

help to remind me that there are much more important things to be thinking on.

And that helps me see where I can be more intentional.

Although this is still a pretty vague goal, it is a good one for me and I have enjoyed the challenge!

There ya have it!

The March update of 11 in 2011.

PS. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
We had our Irish meal - corned beef, red potatoes, cabbage and Irish soda bread - to commerate!
Hope you had a fun, green day :)
Slainte!